College Professor Recognized
Dr. Richard J. Bathurst, RMCC – Department of Civil Engineering received word last week from, Dr. R. Kerry Rowe FREng, FRSC, FCAE – Editor, Geotextiles & Geomembranes that his paper: “Analysis of installation damage tests for LRFD calibration of reinforced soil structures” by Richard J. Bathurst, Bingquan Huang, Tony M. Allen, Geotextiles and Geomembranes, 29(3): 323-334. was selected as the best paper published in G&G in 2011.
There is a plan to have an editorial in a future issue of G&G and in an article in IGS News indicating that this paper was selected as the best paper published in G&G in 2011.
A certificate commemorating this will also be available in the future.
The G&G journal has the second highest impact factor of the 30 “geo” journals that are in the same category.
Congratulations, Dr. Richard J. Bathurst.
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Another Cadet Moves to the Ranks
In a ceremony held this past weak and presided over by the Commandant, BGen Eric Tremblay, 25427 OCdt Jennifer Stanton relinquished her status as an Officer Cadet and became Cpl Stanton. As he replaced her OCdt epaulets with the insignia of her new rank, the Commandant expressed his confidence that Cpl Stanton, who was extremely involved around the College during her time at RMCC, would continue to do well in her new career. “I have no doubt that we will be seeing you again in a few years with a lot more rank on your shoulders,” he said.
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Dealing with failure: A presentation by Mr. Jon Vroman
Written by 25885 OCdt (IV) Ken S. Malhan
The presentation by Jon Vroman on Oct. 3 was probably one of the better ones the Cadets at RMC have received. Mr. Vroman is a successful speaker who uses his life story and encounters with people to motivate and encourage his audience to change for the better. Mr. Vroman’s high energy and enthusiasm were very contagious, as the half weary crowd was soon snapping and clapping at his command. He not only engaged the Cadets himself, he also had the cadets interact with each other.
Even though Mr. Vroman filled the room with energy and used his humour to keep our minds from day dreaming, he didn’t forget to drive home some of the key messages he had, messages like the importance of supporting our peers who have the courage to stand when no one else would or that we should not be afraid of failing, as failing means we are trying. He also emphasized the that we should not judge others for how we see them but for who they are really are and, something that is most prudent to Cadets at RMC, that “sometimes things that are good for us are hard to swallow”.
The only thing in his presentation that was lacking was the fact that he was unable to transfer his energy and enthusiasm to the Cadets in the New Gym. This was evident during the question period, during which Mr. Vroman made the Cadets do the Gangnam style dance routine. All in all, the presentation by Jon Vroman really motivated the Cadets at RMC, and everyone who was there left feeling better about themselves.
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College “Writer in Residence Program” Continues with Famous Journalist
RMCC’s “Writer in Residence Program,” which in past years has included an author, a play wright, and a business writer, continues this year with the appointment of Peter Newman as the College’s first “Journalist in Residence.” Mr. Newman, who is a Companion of the Order of Canada and past editor of The Toronto Star and Maclean’s magazine, as well as a former Captain in the RCN, will spend approximately one day a month at the College. As journalism encompasses such a wide area, he will be available to work with Cadets from a wide range of disciplines.
BGen Eric Tremblay, Commandant of the College, and Dr. Joel Sokolsky, College Principal, had coffee with Mr. Newman at the Senior Staff Mess this past week to welcome him to the College.
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College Gets Visit from Down Under
Dr. Damian Powell, Principal of the University of Melbourne, visited RMCC this past week, and signed the official College guest book to commemorate the occasion.
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2012 Ontario Universities Fair
Article by 25262 OCdt (IV) Victoria Pynn and 25688 OCdt (IV) Jackelyn Gignac
The Royal Military College of Canada participates in the Ontario Universities Fair in Toronto each year, and it is a phenomenal opportunity to spread the word about how different and unique the RMCC is compared to other civilian universities in Ontario. This year, the fair had a record breaking attendance on the first day with over 47,000 visitors through the doors by 15h00. The total overall for the entire weekend approached 120,000 visitors. With the new exhibit, RMCC certainly intrigued many aspiring students from different cultural backgrounds. Visitors were able to see, from the RMCC display, many of the daily activities that go on throughout the year at the College. It is important for interested students and their parents to understand that RMCC is not only a university, but one that offers an exceptionally challenging and rewarding experience. Having both male and female O/NCdts representing the College was also eye-opening to many individuals interested in attending.
The Ontario University Fair is a great opportunity for RMCC cadets to share their own personal experiences with young students who are interested in attending the College. As a Fourth Year Cadet, I believe it is important for incoming Cadets to be informed of the daily goings on at the college, to hear first-hand what attending the RMCC is like, and more importantly, to know that while RMCC is a very challenging university experience, it is also achievable.
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PAG in Action on Eve of Thanksgiving Weekend
By: 25892 NCdt (IV) Meghan Thompson – PAG Vice-President
Every Thanksgiving the Peer Assistance Group (PAG) hosts a Thanksgiving Movie Night for Cadets who are not going away over the holiday. While Thanksgiving weekend provides most Cadets an opportunity to take leave to visit family or friends, each year a few stay behind–and it is for these Cadets that the PAG Movie Night is designed. The movie night exists to give those remaining at the college a chance to meet up with fellow students and enjoy a free movie and popcorn while the majority of their peers leave for a few days, and as such is one of the key morale events hosted by PAG throughout the school year. This year the event was organized by 26295 NCdt (II) Solvies Enga, and was held on Friday October 5th in the Cadet Formal Mess. Of the two possible movie choices planned for the night, The Watchmen and The Avengers, it was The Avengers that took the vote, and, along with the free popcorn of course, made the night a success. After being advertised through posters and wing-wide emails for the last two weeks, the PAG Thanksgiving Movie Night proved to be a nice way for the Cadets remaining on campus over Thanksgiving to meet other cadets and unwind before start of the long weekend.
It should be noted that calling this year’s movie night a “success” is no exaggeration. Whereas normally the event draws somewhere between ten and forty Cadets, the last two years saw only twenty or so in attendance, and this year the event had nearly a full house, with thirty-five Cadets showing up to participate. Using the mess’s projector, the OPI put The Avengers on the large screen, and everyone was able to enjoy the movie and have fun while eating free popcorn or even getting a drink from the bar just on the other side of the Cadet Formal Mess. NCdt Enga commented that is was nice to see that “everyone was able to take a breather from school and have a moment to be with their friends” even though the campus had been emptying out all afternoon as Cadets left for leave. Overall, it was a very fun night for all in attendance, and definitely an event that will remain on the PAG calendar for next year.